Internal-drive rear axle



F. H. FARMER.

INTERNAL DRIVE REAR AXLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAII. II. i919.

Patented June 7, 1921..

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F. H. FARMER.

INTERNAL DRIVE REAR AXLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAH. II: I9I9. lp, Patented June 79 IIQZL 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W/nf/fd $4 K@ L i @NA NI v. Cw m H. am, or amv, omo, Assieme me PNY, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, CURPORTION 0F OHIO.

WHITE :MOTOR C0- REAR E.

To all whom 'it muy concern Be it known that I, FRANK H. FARMER, a

citizen of. the United States residing at duy Cleveland in the county of ahoga and State of hio, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Internal-Drive Rear Axles,'of` which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is an improvement in the kind of internal drive rear axles shown and described in my prior application, Serial No. 218,713.

The object of this invention, speaking generally, is to correct certain minor defects which were found to exist in the structuredisclosed in said prior application.

1n particular, the axle in which the present invention is embodied, is an improvel ment uponthe prior structure referred to,

because the parts thereof are so constructed that they maybe accuratelv assembled in proper workin relationsmore lquickly and more easily an with greater certainty; becausethe axle when completed is stron er and less liable to get out of order; and ecause it is so organized as to insure thatthe lubricant put into thehollow wheels shall remain thereinand keep the inclosed gearings and bearings adequately lubricated.

n the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view showing for most part in central longitudi-v nal section of rather more than one half Iarear axle construction in which the present invention is embodied; Fig. 2 is a side view' 4partly broken away and sectloned 1n the plane of line 2-2 on Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a detached view partly sectioned of the vgear cage member of the axle; and Fig. 4 is an end view'of said gear cage member.

The axle structure includes a hollow axle frame member having an enlarged central portion 3 which serves as'a housing in which Vthe diiierential gearing G is mounted, and

two alined axle tubes 4, which extend in opposite directions therefrom. Associated with each axle tube is a tubular gear cage member 6 which telescopes into and lits Within the axle tube and is immovably connected therewith. Specifically in the con-'- struction shown the member is formedv on its inner end with splines and grooves which fit the correspondingly shaped part of the hollow axle structure; and .a key 65 which goes through and is fixed tothe axle tube p may enters and fits a hole in the gear cage mem` ber. Thls gear cage member projects axially through the inner side plate 45 of a hollow wheel 40 into the central chamber 50 within sald wheel. It supports the inner rings 15 16 of the two' annular ball bearings whlch are within the chamber 50, the outer rings 18 of which bearingsen age the two side plates 41, 45, of the whee. This gear cage member is formed within the chamber 50 with two-laterall projecting ears 8 and 9 and there is a ho e 10 1n the wall of the gear cage between these two ears' and an internal shoulder 12 inside this ho e.-

'A tubular pinion 22 is formed with hubs 23, 24, at its ends, which hubs serve as the inner rings of annular ball bearings.' The outer rings 25, 26, are supported within the tubular gear ca e'member. This pinion and the annu1ar bal bearing referred to constltute a uint, the parts of which are assembled outside of the gear cage member.

-The bore of this ear cage member from its outer end to the s oulder 12 is such that this slipped into place until the rlng 26 11s 1n contact with the shoulder12. A' tubular nut 30 screws into the outer end Speoication of Letters Patent. Patented Jun@ I?, 1192116 application mea maren 11, 191s. semaine. senese.

of the gear cage member against the bearing rin'g 2.5, and thereby this pinion unit, that 1s,p1n1on and its bearings, are held in position in said gear cage unit. 33 represents one of the axle shafts which at its 1nner end has a spline and groove enagement with one of the gears of the diferential mechanism within the housing 3. It extends out throughthe hollow gear cage member and through the pinion 22 with which it has a spllne and groove engage v ment.

VThere is an axial hole through the outer plate 41 of the wheel, large enough for the axle shaft to ass through it. A cap. 55 is screwed into t is hole` to close it. The wheel as shown is substantially likethat which vis shown and described in my prior applicathe outer margin of the dished plate 45, and

the three parts are then secured together by bolts. i l

' such an axle is iii use'it runs alon When it is desired wholly or partially to withdraw an axle shaft, it is vonly necessary to unscrew the cap 55.

When it is desired to disassemble the mechanism within the wheel chamber the outer part of the wheel, including the dished late 4:1, the spokes and rim are unbolted rom the parts specied'to which the are ordinarily bolted and are removed. hen the hollow nut 30 can be taken outgand thereu on the pinion unit may be removed throug the outer end of the gear cage unit.

When the parts are assembled a considerable quantity of oil is put into the chamber 50 of the wheelforv keeping the gearing and the bearings within, the wheel well lubricated. When a motor vehicle having on the right side of the road and the roa is usually crowned, so that the right end of the' axle will be lower than the leftend. With the construction shown in said prior application the lubricant shown within the chamber would, before a great while, work its way out through the tubular cage member toward the central housing, and would fre uently pass from there over into the wheel c amber to the ri ht hand wheel. At any rate, the wheel c amber of the left hand wheel frequently got dry. 'llo prevent this,

' the construction shown provides a tubular bushing 60 which embraces and hasa s lined engagement with the adjacent spline portion of the shaft 33, so that it must rotate with said shaft. A

At its outer end this bushing is formed with an outwardl extended flange 61 having a beveled inner ace preferably. The outer cylindrical surface of this bushing and this -beveled inner face of the flange in its end are formed so as to` have anice sliding engagement against correspondingly' shaped parts of the inner surface of the gear cage member. This bushing substantially pre- -vents any flow of oil from the wheel chamber past it and toward the central housing of the axle frame member. 'llhis is partly because of the nice sliding fit between its outer surfaces and inner` surfaces of the ear cage member. llt is also in part due to t e presence of the flan e 61 on the end of this bushing around which oil must pass as it passes between the bushing and the gear cage member. rllhe oil to reach the end of this bushing has to pass through the annular ball bearing, of which the ringd is a part. When the axle 33 and this bushing are rotated the centrifugal force at the outer edge of the lange of said bushing acts to prevent the oil from Howin over said flange and between the flange an bushing and the parts of the gear cage member with which 'the engage.

' lnd wise movement outward of the axle ber and is reenter tion loss by a ball placed in an axial recess in its end in a position where it may engage with the inner face of the nut 55. Some wear of this nut takes place, but not much. lin any event, it is not an expensive proposition to replace the nut 55 by another if this wear has become too great.

Having described my invention, ll claim 1. lln an internal drive rear axle structure having a hollow frame member which is formed with two. 0 psitely extended axle tubes, and, in combination with each of said axle tubes, a tubular gear cage member which telescopes into said axle tube and is immovably connected therewith, a hollow wheel which is rotatably mounted on the rojecting outer end of said gear cage mein er and is provided with an internal ring ear,-which gear cage member, within' the w eel, is formed with two laterally extended integral ears, with a hole through its wall between said ears, with an internal shoulder located inside of said hole and with an internal bore whose diameter is as great at allpoiiits as it is adjacent said shoulder, a pinion .unit comprising a tubular pinion and bearing rings in which said pinion is mounted,-which bearing rings are of such diameter that they may be inserted into said tubular gear cage member through the outer end thereof and which fit within said tubular member with the inner of said bearin rings in engagement with said interna shoulder, a tubular nut which screws into the end of said gear cage member against the outer of the bearing rings or saidA pinion unit, an idler` gear which is rotatably mounted upon said gear lcage unit between the two ears thereof and which projects through the hole in said gear cage unit and engages with said pinion and ring gear, an

an axle shaft which passes through the tubular gear cage member and pinion and has a driving spline and groove engagement with the pinion and a driving s line and groove engagement with the diderential mechanis 2. lin an internal drive rear axle structure having a hollow frame member which is formed with two oppositely extended axle tubes, and, in combination with each of said axle tubes, a tubular gear cage member which telescopes-into said axle tube and is immovably connected therewith,l a hollow wheel which is Arotatably mounted on the proyecting outer end of said gear cage memprovided with aninternal ring gear,-whic wheel, is formed with two laterally extended integralears, with a hole through its wall between said ears, with an internal shoulder located inside of said hole and with an -internal borewhose diameter is as great at all gear vcage member, within the mecha? bearing rings in which said pinion is mounted,-.which bearing rings are of such diameter that they may be inserted into said tubular gear cage member through the outer end thereof, and which fit within said tubular member with the inner of said bearing rings in engagement with said internal shoulder, a tubular nut which screws into the end of said gear cage member against the outer of the bearing rings of said pinion unit, an idler gear which is rotatably mounted upon said gear cage unit between the two ears thereof, and which projects through the hole in said gear cage unit and engages with said pinion and ring gear, an axle shaft which passes through the tubular gear cage member and pinion and has a riving spline and groove engagement with the pinion and a drivingvspline and groove engagement with the diderential mechanism, said wheel having an axially disposed hole through its outer side large enou h for the axle to pass through, a screw cap or closing the same, and a ball in a recess in the outer end of said shaft for engagement with the inner face of' said screw cap.

3. In an internal drive rear axle structure -having a hollow frame member which is formed with two oppositely extended axle tubes, and, in combination with each of said axle tubes, a tubular ar cage `member which telescopes into said axle tube and is immovably connected therewith, a hollow wheel which is rotatably mounted on the projecting outer end of said gear cage member andis provided with an internal ring gear,-Which gear cage member, Within the wheel, is formed with two laterally extended integral ears, with a hole through its Wall between said ears, with aninternal shoulder located inside of said hole and with an internal b ore whose diameter is not decreased from the shoulder to the outer end of said member, a pinion unit comprising a tubular pinion and bearing rings in which said pinion is mounted,which bearing rings are of such diameter that they may be inserted into said tubular gear cage member through the outer end thereof and which fit within said tubular member with the inner of said bearing rings in engagement with said internal shoulder, a tubular nut which screws into the end of said gear cage member against the outer of the bearing rings of said inion unit, an idler gear which is rotatabljy mounted upon said gear cage unit between the two ears thereof and which projects through the hole in said gear cage unit and engages with said inion and ring gear, and an axle shaft whic passes through the tubular gear cage member and pinion and has a-driving spline and groove engagement with the pinion and a driving s line and groove engagement with the dlerential mechanism, said wheel having an axially disposed hole through its outer side large enough for the axle to pass through, a screw cap or closing the same, and a ball in a recess in the outer end of said shaft for en gagement with the inner face of said screw cap, a bushing having a spline and groove connection with the axle shaft inside of the inner bearing ring for said pinion which bushing is formed on its outer end with an outwardly extended Hange and is rotatably fitted within said gear cage member.

4. ln an internal drive axle of the character specified, the combination of a tubular r FRANK n. merma. 

